By Amanina Mohamad Yusof
PUTRAJAYA, March 2 (Bernama) -- The MARA MADANI ‘Waqf’ (endowment) Fund will be used to empower the Bumiputera agenda, especially in the education of the Malay community by offering quality and free education, entrepreneur development and other aspects related to the Bumiputera.
Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said he was optimistic that the RM1 billion target announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim could be achieved.
"We have more than 2.5 million MARA alumni whom we can harness to contribute to and replenish this waqf, and it can be utilised for future generations.
"Our alumni range from MARA Junior Science Colleges to Universiti Teknologi MARA, and they have become affluent individuals in various professional sectors, including the corporate sector," he told Bernama after the conclusion of the Bumiputera Economic Congress (KEB) 2024 here today.
Anwar while speaking at the closing ceremony of KEB 2024, announced the establishment of the MARA MADANI Waqf Fund supported by an initial grant of RM100 million, aiming to achieve accumulated funds amounting to RM1 billion within two years.
According to Anwar, the waqf system will be spearheaded by MARA and implemented by Yayasan Pelajaran MARA in line with the aspirations behind the formation of the agency.
Asyraf Wajdi added that MARA expected the concept paper for the establishment of the fund to be completed within two months.
Meanwhile, he said that the willingness of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia to be the patron of the MARA MADANI Waqf Fund would add credibility to the establishment of the fund and reflect the empowerment agenda for the Bumiputera community.
"We consider ourselves fortunate because the King himself, as the head of religion, is the patron, and waqf is an economic instrument related to the authority of the Malay Rulers.
"Of course, with the King as the patron, we will ensure that the management and administration of the waqf fund will be at its best, and we will provide periodic reports to His Majesty," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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